It’s no secret that New Jersey takes high school theatre seriously — either you’ve lived that experience as a drama kid or as a parent. There’s a lot of talent, both on stage and behind, as the students at North Bergen showed in the innovative production of “Alien” that took the internet by storm.

But if you’re looking to be wowed by a Broadway musical, look no further than Rahway High School’s magical performance of “Pippin.”

Rahway’s Youth Theatre Group transported me to the medieval world of Pippin, son of Charles, the king of the Holy Roman Empire, on Monday night.

Pippin, played by Brandon Grajales, is a young prince looking for adventure and a sense of purpose in life, but every time he tries a new experience, he feels “vacant and empty” when it’s over.

He goes to war and feels unfulfilled as a soldier, then kills his father to take the throne during a revolution, and quickly becomes overwhelmed by the duty of being king too. Eventually, a lost and confused Pippin meets Caroline, a widow, and falls in love. And even then, he struggles with the temptation to join a group of circus performers in pursuit of a great adventure beyond his routine life.

“It’s a timeless story of looking for something greater,” music director Robert Van Wyk said. “It’s a coming of age story, where there’s always something better down the road but then Pippin realizes he’s already surrounded by what’s most important. It’s a simple story in many ways, but it’s told with lots of magic and love.”

Director and choreographer Alison Dooley added, “I think kids can relate to that. They understand the message, so then it’s easier for them to convey that to the audience than some other musicals.”

This year’s production follows years where Rahway was among the first schools in New Jersey to debut “Mary Poppins,” “Big Fish the Musical” and a new high school edition of “A Chorus Line,” according to Van Wyk.

Before I got to catch the musical, we were already impressed by Rahway students’ superb singing and choreography, as well as the original, inspiring song “Anyone But Me,” written by Rahway musical theatre teacher Jensyn Modero, that they used in the video along with clips from their rehearsals.

Senior Matt Mulligan, a featured player in the musical, who produced the video, said, “When we first made the video, we just wanted to show people that we’re doing good work, and then it started to get a lot of hits.”

Chris Smith as Charles during a dress rehearsal of Rahway High School's production of 'Pippin.' (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“It’s a great experience to build me up, for the future,” added Grajales, who wants to pursue a career in musical theatre. “All this will help me grow. I’ve made new friends, and I can look back in the future and say, ‘Wow, I did this.’”

So if you see these students at a diner late at night after the show, give them a warm congratulations. They’ve earned it.

This is not your average high school production. Just a few minutes into the show, I was stunned by the singing, dancing, acting and the personality they added to the characters. The cast of Rahway’s “Pippin” brought a high level of professionalism, and the orchestra, led by Van Wyk was powerful, but balanced, with the singing just right.

It’s also no surprise at a high school where performing arts are a significant part of the school day — students are offered classes in musical theater, dance (in place of gym, nonetheless), advanced drama, piano and music theory. But most students don’t study privately or start performing at early ages, Van Wyk said. The school was recognized as one of the best communities in the nation for music education in 2019.

As the show opens, the cast sets the scene for a production full of color, enhanced by costumes made by Rahway’s own Audrey Angrisani and Tina Campagna. If only knights in the Middle Ages could be so lucky to have such glamorous armor.

As Pippin, Grajales channels a character who is lost, insecure and just trying to make his family proud. As the royal family is introduced, the personality of each character shows, revealing that Pippin’s family often ignores and dismisses him.

Students Hailee Ross and Emery Myers capture the essence of Pippin’s self-centered stepmother Fastrada and half brother Lewis. The story and characters are all introduced from the perspective of the leading player, Jason Myers, whose strong singing and dance skills lead the narrative.

Rahway High School students run through a dress rehearsal of 'Pippin' on March 25, 2019. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Among the show-stealers to look out for are Elizabeth “Lil’” Jones, who brings a quirky charm to Pippin’s grandmother Berthe, and Chris Smith, who brings animation and fun into the despotic, self-aggrandizing King Charles.

At one point in the musical, a banner with sheet music painted on it drops during Berthe’s song “No Time At All,” and Jones encourages the audience to sing along with her — but only on the choruses, because “the verses are all mine,” she insists.

Perhaps one of the most endearing parts of the musical was the appearance of Grajales’ younger brother Ethan as Theo, the son of Pippin’s love interest Caroline (Rowena Songcuan). In Act Two, Songcuan and Ethan Grajales deliver compelling, emotional performances as they take Pippin in and he contemplates whether to stay with them or continue pursuing something greater.

Caroline, a widow, urges Pippin to be productive, get out of bed, work on her farm and be a father figure to Theo, all of which he does reluctantly, but their love grows stronger as he continues to live with Caroline and Theo.

As the show closes, the charismatic lead player (Jason Myers), who spends the whole show trying to control the narrative and scolds other characters for breaking it, urges the audience to look inside themselves.

As he entices audience members to join the circus and take a chance at jumping into a pit of fire, he begs you to consider: Will you live a life of chasing temporary highs, or accept that everything you need to make you happy is already right in front of you?

“Our community is so supportive of the arts, and we were excited to see our greater family vote in huge numbers for this competition,” Van Wyk said. “We’re so grateful to represent all the great high school shows put on across the state.”